There are many examples of relics, tombs and even entire religions which didn't survive the early Islamic conquests. IS is reliving the Islamic history right out of the textbook. The first major conquest, renowned for its brutality, occurred in Arabia itself, immediately after Muhammad's death in 632. Many tribes which had only nominally accepted Islam's authority, upon Muhammad's death, figured they could break away; however, Muhammad's successor and first caliph, or successor, Abu Bakr, would have none of that, and proclaimed a jihad against these murtaddeen (apostates), known in Arabic as the "Ridda Wars" (or Apostasy Wars). According to historians tens of thousands of Arabs were put to the sword until their tribes re-submitted to Islam.

The next caliph, Omar, launched the Muslim conquests: Syria was conquered around 636, Egypt 641, Mesopotamia and the Persian Empire, 650. By the early 8th century, all of north Africa and Spain to the west, and the lands of central Asia and India to the east, were also brought under Islamic rule wiping away entire religions.

When Muslims went to a new region they offered the inhabitants three choices: 1) submit (i.e., convert) to Islam; 2) live as ahl al-dimmah (second-class citizens) paying special taxes and accepting several social debilitations; 3) the sword.

Even today some see the Islamic conquests as an act of altruism: they are referred to as futuh, which literally means "openings"—that is, the countries conquered were "opened" for the light of Islam to enter and guide its infidel inhabitants. Thus to Muslims, there is nothing to regret or apologize for concerning the conquests; they are seen as for the good of those who were conquered (the ancestors of today's Muslims).